Funky Aardvark Attic Artists

On August 3, 2014 by Midge

The Funky Aardvark Attic Artists work in a busy studio together. They all come from different backgrounds and have varying skills. The studio has a family environment and the Aardvarks often work together on projects as well as following their own directions.

The Attic Artists work in a variety of disciplines including drawing, painting, textiles, ceramics, photography, illustration, street art, mixed media and more. They have a large amount of work on display both in the studio and in the attached shop and Gallery.

Funky Aardvark will also be hosting the Cheshire Open Studios 2014 OPEN Exhibition between 22nd August and 17th September.

Funky Aardvark are also open additional dates 10-5 Monday to Friday and 10.30 – 4.30 on Sunday in the shop, gallery and workshop. Studio tours available on request.

There will be 3 artists taking part in Cheshire Open Studios (with up to 10 artists in total on location) which include:

Bex Raven

Bex has always loved Art and has a wide background in many disciplines. It was her vision that founded Funky Aardvark based on her MA research into making Art accessible for everyone. She is a great believer that Art and Craft should be inclusive and welcoming, but most importantly fun!

Bex works mainly through the medium of textiles. She loves to explore the possibilities of surface texture through the creation of her own fabrics and embellishing processes. An active member of the Embroiderers Guild, Bex continues to push the boundaries of stitch in her Art. Her inspiration comes from her own life and the world around her. She often uses text within her work to draw comparisons with the life of the viewer or communicate a message. Interaction is a key component in a lot of Bex’s Gallery work and she encourages the audience to join in with the pieces and therefore engage with the Art.

Bex creates work on a wide variety of topics from small 3-dimensional or framed pieces to full Gallery installations. Her current projects include collaborations with the other artists in the studio and also using her teaching experience to develop a confidence boosting Art book.

Jay Raven

Jay has been a photographer since an early age with his father working as a professional in the trade. He has skills in both analogue and digital photography and loves working with natural light. He spends many an hour wandering the streets of Chester looking for the perfect angle and shot.

Jay also uses his digital skills to develop images for his street art. He likes to use quirky colours and a mixture of his own and iconic imagery to produce striking visuals on a wide range of ‘canvases’.

Jay takes influence from the fusion of feminine Victoriana and steam driven industrialism in his own take on SteamPunk. His range includes both simple everyday wear and outstanding statement pieces which are destined to be the talk of the evening.

Between creating eye catching jewellery and atmospheric photographs Jay also finds the time to work on his computer game development. This has both traditional and Art based function and is often utilised to engage the public in situations they would not expect.

Katie Corbett

I work with textiles, paint, paper and natural found and collected items.

I work mostly with freemotion embroidered pieces and traditionally-made and hand-sewn, mohair teddy bears. These tend to be one off or limited edition designs. I also create mixed media collages, cards and machine sewn textile pieces, which sometimes incorporate my freemotion designs.

My influences are wide ranging. They include old tattoo designs, the macabre, the sinister, and the miniature world of insects and nature. I also have a love of whimsical things, which includes Blythe dolls.

My studio is based in Funky Aardvark in Chester, where my work can also be found for sale.

Email: info@funkyaardvark.co.uk

Website: www.funkyaardvark.co.uk

Phone: 01244637565

Studio Location: 61 Bridge Street Rows East, Chester, CH1 1NW

Busy, thriving studio with over 10 Artists working onsite on a daily basis.

Studio Directions: Located in the historic rows of Bridge Street in the centre of Chester with easy parking at the nearby Grosvenor Shopping Centre.